Explore Graduate Degree Programs at Sonoma State University
Biology
The Department of Biology has 11 permanent faculty who are actively involved in a wide range of disciplines, including ecology and evolutionary biology, molecular and cell biology, physiology, functional morphology, and organismal biology. Three additional faculty from other departments on campus have expertise in biology and are adjunct members of the graduate program.
The Master of Science degree in the Department of Biology is a thesis research program. Students complete course work that allows them to master the concepts and techniques of their chosen discipline.
They also conduct original research under the direction of a member of the faculty, and write up their findings as a Master's Thesis. Typically, students take two to three years to complete their graduate degree requirements.
Students that graduate with a MS in Biology from Sonoma State University will:
- demonstrate a strong knowledge base in their sub-discipline of biology
- display critical thinking
- demonstrate a mastery of research approaches
- have effective written and oral communication skills
Graduates of this program find themselves with an enhanced understanding of biology and first-hand experience in the practice of science. Many of our students go on to doctoral programs, others use their degree to pursue careers in teaching, research, environmental consulting, resource management, industry, and various health professions.
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Business Administration
Personalized and experiential learning, expert and accessible faculty, and deep industry connections are among the reasons that our alumni mention when asked why their degree represents the right return on investment for them and their families.
We are committed to supporting your life-long career path by challenging you in ways that will strengthen your ability to lead ethically and effectively in today's business environment.
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Counseling
Our Counseling program emphasizes the role of human relationships to heal and empower. We seek to educate a community of ethical, self-aware, and socially-engaged counselors who possess the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to competently promote the health and development of diverse individuals, couples, families, and communities.
Our 60-unit graduate program offers two professional specializations:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling (with eventual licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist and/or as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor)
- School Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential.
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Cultural Resources Management
Established in 1978, Sonoma State’s Master of Arts in Cultural Resources Management is one of the oldest such programs in the United States. Its alumni have gone on to assume high-level positions at universities, private firms, and local, state and federal agencies.
CRM involves the identification, evaluation and preservation of cultural resources, as mandated by cultural resources legislation and guided by scientific standards within the planning process.
A goal of the master’s program in Cultural Resources Management is to produce professionals who are competent in the methods and techniques appropriate for filling cultural resources management and related positions, and who have the theoretical background necessary for research design, and data collection and analysis.
Persons with an M.A. in CRM will be qualified to hold positions within the United States and its territories. Some individuals will also be qualified to serve outside of the United States in an advisory capacity in establishing and managing cultural resources management programs within environmental protection and preservation contexts of other nations.
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Cultural Resources Management Website
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Education
In our MA program, students critically examine educational theories, research, and practices through a variety of empirical, theoretical, and cultural lenses to develop an informed educational vision and innovative pedagogy in a variety of educational settings.
Candidates have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty and colleagues to examine and influence current educational practice through research, project development, and advocacy.
We currently offer five specializations or concentrations within the Master of Arts in Education degree reflecting the philosophy, purpose, and goals of the School of Education Social Justice Framework; Curriculum, Teaching & Learning; Educational Leadership; Special Education; Reading & Language; and Early Childhood Education.
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Electrical & Computer Engineering
The Master of Science degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering (MS-ECE) at Sonoma State University is a graduate program focused on interconnection between electrical engineering hardware and computer science software.
The 32-unit curriculum blends relevant academic coursework with practical engineering experience, thereby addressing the evolving demands upon engineering in our progressively technology-driven world. The program is recognized as a professional Science Masters (PSM) program by the Council of Graduate Schools.
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Electrical & Computer Engineering Website
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English
Welcome to the Master of Arts in English at Sonoma State University. We offer options of completing your degree with an emphasis in literary criticism, creative writing, and rhetoric/English education.
As a whole, we seek to foster scholars and writers who are engaged in dialogue across their discipline-specific course of study. We encourage M. A. students to explore their interests across our curriculum. Together with their colleagues and faculty mentors, the M. A. cohort participates fully in the life of the English Department.
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History
The Master of Arts in History is designed to provide students with a program of advanced intensive courses leading to specializations in such areas as American, Latin American, European, African, Asian, and local history.
Apart from the culminating requirement of either a master’s thesis (and oral defense) or examinations in two fields (written), the master’s program contains sufficient flexibility to meet the varying personal, professional and academic needs of students. The Graduate Coordinator and supervisors of thesis or field committees provide assistance and direction toward achieving academic objectives.
The M.A. in History is a 30-unit program. Requirements include at least 15 units of required 500-level coursework. Students must also take 15 units of elective, upper-division work (at the 300, 400, or 500-levels).
Graduate seminars and upper-division classes are generally small, offering individualized attention, guidance, and interaction between faculty and students. Graduate students are expected to recognize various methodologies and perspectives of historical inquiry and interpretation, and to master the techniques of historical writing and research.
Opportunities for independent study, research with faculty, and internships are available.
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Nursing
For over 40 years the Department of Nursing has been educating nurses. To date we have educated over 4000 Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Educators, and Nurse Leaders to serve our region, state, country, and world.
We are proud of our reputation for preparing excellent, well-qualified professionals. Our students are educated to practice in a variety of settings including community health agencies, advanced practice settings, and acute care settings.
Our core values include:
- Providing a foundation for lifelong learning
- Practicing nursing with a broad cultural perspective
- Developing professional leadership and active citizenship
- Fostering flexibility and resilience for a career in nursing within a dynamic world
- Contributing to the health and well-being of a community within a perspective of the world at large
The SSU Department of Nursing offers both a Master of Science in Nursing with Family Nurse Practitioner emphasis and a Post-Master's FNP Certificate and is fully accredited by The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education(CCNE) and approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing.
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Public Administration
Note: The Master's Degree in Public Administration (MPA) program is not accepting new students for Fall 2023.
Offered primarily as an evening program, the Master's Degree in Public Administration (MPA) provides a rigorous 40 unit curriculum that emphasizes the background and skills required to effectively analyze, formulate, and implement public policy in local, state, and national government, and to achieve similar programmatic goals in nonprofit agencies.
The program recognizes a need for a strong combination of theoretical and practical learning. Students choose from two concentrations: 1) Public Management; or 2) Nonprofit Agency Management.
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Spanish
This program is for those individuals interested in earning a Master of Arts in Spanish within a span of three summers.
An attractive feature of the program is the fact that all of the graduate courses will be taken during three summer sessions; the academic year course load will be relatively light. Thus, students will be able to finish the courses within a 26-month time span while maintaining full-time employment.
Students from out of the area also may take elective courses during the academic year at other institutions, with the approval of the graduate advisor. Program faculty will include both SSU Spanish faculty and visiting faculty from other institutions teaching in their area of specialization.
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